There are many situations wherein an injured person must be transported from a first place (usually the place of injury) to a safer location or treatment facility. Although such a situation can occur in many different applications, the description herein will focus on the case of firefighters. However, it will be understood that the device and method may be used in many different situations where it is necessary to transport an injured individual.
There are many devices known in the art for transporting injured individuals. They usually consist of a backboard onto which the injured person is secured. Subsequently, the board can be lifted by a pair of individuals. Such a device is particularly useful in the case of back injuries wherein the person can be immobilized on the backboard.
Firefighting is inherently a very dangerous occupation and firefighters must undergo in-depth training to respond to a variety of situations. One of the most dangerous situations involves a situation wherein a firefighter has entered a building or other structure and is subsequently trapped in the building. This frequently occurs when debris falls on the firefighter.
Most fire departments maintain a staff of individuals who are specifically trained to rescue firefighters who are downed. The situation is extremely difficult and dangerous since there is also a high degree of danger to the rescuers. It is inherently difficult to attempt to rescue an individual in such a situation. It will be understood that the individual represents a dead weight of 250-350 pounds and the rescuers must often operate in situations wherein visibility is limited or nil. Furthermore, the equipment which the firefighters and rescuers utilize is not designed to provide a tactile response in the sense that the gloves do not permit a feedback of what the hands are doing.
Other problems which exist are the transportation of the downed firefighter. As above mentioned, the sheer weight of the person with the heavy equipment on poses a substantial problem. At present, the downed firefighter is carried by one or more rescuers to a place of evacuation. Frequently, the only way out of some buildings is by means of a window which presents the problem of passing the person through the window to other firefighters on ladders and the like.